Scientific Name
Carex utriculata Boott (Synonyms: Carex rostrata; Carex inflata)
Common Name(s)
Northwest Territory sedge, beaked sedge
Tribe / Family Name
Cyperaceae
Flowering Period
June to September
Symbol
CAUT
Description
Northwest Territory sedge is a cool-season native perennial rhizomatous grass-like plant; reproduction occurs by seeds and rhizomes. Culms range from 25–120 cm in height and has an erect growth habit and bluntly triangular (3-angled) stems below the inflorescences with a thickened spongy base that is reddish and smooth. Inflorescences contain 2–4 terminal, staminate spikes that are 2–7 cm long, and up to 4 mm wide; 2–5 lateral, pistillate spikes (occasionally androgynous) that are 2–10 cm long, up to 15 mm wide, corncob-like in appearance, and well-separated from the terminal spikes. Bracts are leaf-like, little if at all sheathing, and greater than the inflorescence. Perigynia are usually 4–8.6 mm long, up to 3 mm wide, oval to ovoid, strongly inflated, glabrous, shining, green, straw-colored, or reddish brown, and prominently 9–15 nerved; beaks are usually 1.2–2.7 mm long and deeply bidentate (teeth up to 1.3 mm long). Pistillate scales are ovate or lanceolate, acute to acuminate, awnless, mostly shorter than the perigynia, and brown with a 3-nerved center and hyaline margins. Stigmas 3. Fruit is an achene, trigonous, and yellowish brown. Leaves are 20–60 cm long, up to 12 mm wide, 4–10 per culm, flat, linear, stiff, green, glabrous, and broadly W-shaped in cross section. Sheaths of 6 mm or greater at the base of lowest inflorescence bract, often brown to tinged reddish, slightly spongy with crosswalls between veins that resemble a brick pattern, white-hyaline ventrally, and concave or truncate at the mouth.
General Info
Northwest Territory sedge can be found in wet meadows, swamps, marshes, fens, wet soils and shallow water at the edges of ponds, lakes, and streams.
Similar Species
Northwest Territory sedge can look similar to other sedge (Carex) species. Remember to look for its leaf sheaths with crosswalls between veins and its inflorescences that contain pistillate spikes with a corncob appearance.
Picture of growth habit.
Close-up picture of staminate and pistillate spikes.
Close-up picture of perigynium and stigmas.
Close-up picture of pistillate scale.
Close-up picture of blade and sheath. Note the sheath with brick pattern.
Close-up picture of leaf blade.
Illustration of Northwest Territory sedge. Glen Cole, 2017.